Mentally Renewed

       

    The saying, "Paralysis by over-analysis" is definitely true. I believe I added the "over" in there for myself but you get the point.  😊 

    Did you know your mindset could be your own prison, your own setback, and even your own delay? This topic registered with me so much because recently I kept saying over and over again to Donnell (husband), "I feel like the enemy is trying to come after my mind." Of course, there are reasons this came to me, but that'll be for a later discussion.Yes, there are other things that can delay your promise and forward movement, but your mind is definitely a powerful one. I had never really seen it like this before as I was reading why God had to take the Israelites on an alternate route, but that's how it was recently revealed to me. It was even confirmed and expanded on in our Bible Study! Like what?! 

    Anyway, God knew the condition of their minds, and that was of a weak one. He knew that if they even saw a hint of confrontation, or war, that they would definitely go back to Egypt and not reach the promised land. You could even see it in the verbiage they constantly, and so disrespectfully, used when things seemed hopeless:

Exodus 14:12 (NASB)

" 'Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, 'Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians'? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness. ' "

    What came out of their mouths definitely reflected what was already in their hearts (Matt 12:34, TPT). This was after the fall of Adam, and so their spirit-man part of their being was not alive. As we have learned, this is part of the reason Jesus had to come, die, and be resurrected for all sins, so we can have the opportunity to live in the supernatural, have that open communication with Holy Spirit, and walk and partner with God as He originally intended with Adam. 

    They were walking in darkness, which showed in their thinking. What a gracious Father we serve to see all of us when we cannot; to know the pits we could place ourselves into before even going forward (1 Sam 16:7, NASB). Whew! To me it really spoke on the true love, compassion, and fatherhood of God and more and more of his character. Yes, there's judgment, fire, and brimstone, but there also is a Father who just wants to be close and reconnected to his children again, where the fire and brimstone won't even be in view because of the proximity and pure relationship with Jesus.

Exodus 13:17-18 (NASB)

"Now when Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, 'The people might change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.' Hence God led the people around by the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea; and the sons of Israel went up in martial array from the land of Egypt."

    How ironic they went up out of Egypt in war-like format but their minds were not that of warriors. God knew, but they had yet to receive that revelation of who they really were! That's another point: not knowing who God called you to be leaves room for other outside influences to tell you who are instead of the truth, causing further delay (and for some a complete stop).  

    Renew your mind daily (Rom 12:2, TPT); Josh 1:8, NASB), so the Lord does not have to take you on alternate, longer routes to your promise. It definitely is a process, but how much quicker that process could be if our minds were given to Jesus (2 Cor 10:5, TPT)? I have a list of potential blog names based off what I read, experience, what God has said, etc, and this one was "Mindset determines length of journey". What mindset have you adopted that has kept you imprisoned? One thing Holy Spirit says to me and my husband is to think bigger... see bigger. What you see, can definitely be manifest by faith. Think and see outside the box you've placed yourself in or have allowed others to place you in. 

***Let's Pray!!! Thank you Lord for your grace, Holy Spirit your direction and counsel, and Jesus your eternal sacrifice. Father, we are experiencing and seeing just what it means to be a true daughter or son. To be wrapped up in your fortress of protection. Let us be obedient to move when, where, and how you say, and not to be disobedient and move in the opposite direction out of fear. Father, we repent for being disobedient and making this journey harder on us when that's not what you originally intended in the first place. Open our spiritual senses more and more every day to encounter you and have clear direction in our lives. We want constant communion with you. Yes, this means we'll have to die to ourselves, and flesh will constantly have to be broken and killed off, but we're finding out that this location is where peace, hope, love, relationship, etc resides. We pray you deliver our minds from anything that wasn't meant to be placed there: doubt, worry, anxiety, low self-esteem, stress, etc. Remove ourselves from us. In Jesus' Name---Amen.***